STORAGE DEVICES

There are two types of storage devices in a computer:

– Primary storage devices

– Secondary storage devices

These storage devices complement each other. There characteristics are:

– Primary storage devices are temporal (Volatile) while secondary devices are permanent (Non
Volatile).

– Primary storage devices are expensive while secondary devices are cheaper.

– Primary storage devices are faster, while secondary devices are slow.

– Primary storage devices have less storage capacity, while secondary devices have high storage
capacity.

– Primary storage devices refer to RAM and ROM, while secondary devices refer to hard disk
drive, USB flash disk etc.

PRIMARY STORAGE DEVICES

Primary storage service is a compartment in a computer that stores information for a short period
of time.

Types of primary storage devices

• Random Access Memory (RAM)

• Read Only Memory (ROM)

Random Access Memory

It stores information that is being processed and offloads it at a very fast rate to the motherboard
of the computer so it can be sent to the Northbridge and for use to the GUI (Graphical User
Interface), which allows the user to access the information with the mouse, keyboard and monitor.
RAM memory is volatile in nature, i.e the memory stored in the RAM is temporary and it will be
lost when the power gets switched off.

Examples of RAM are:

• DRAM (Dynamic RAM): it uses grid of capacitors, each controlled by a switch called
transistor. It’s the cheapest and most widely used type of memory

• SRAM (Static RAM): it can retain data as long as the power is provided to the memory chip
i.e. it can need to be re-written periodically.

• MRAM (Magnetic RAM) it’s a device that stores information as tiny magnetic field inside a
matrix

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• It is non volatile and the information stored in the ROM is permanent and will not be erased
during power off.

• Its types are:

1. ROM (Read Only Memory) – the ROM chip can send a charge that is above forward break
over, down the appropriate column the selected row grounded to connect a specific cell.

2. PROM (Programmable Read Only Memory) – creating ROM chip totally from scratch is time
consuming and very expensive in small quantities For this reason, developers created a type
of ROM known as Programmable Read Only Memory.

3. Blank PROM chips can be brought inexpensively and coded by the user with a
programmable PROM chip have a grid of column and rows just as ordinary ROMS do.

4. EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) –it’s a device that has a grid of column
and rows and cell at each intersection has two transistors.

5. EEPROMS and flash memory (Electrically Erasable Programming Read Only Memory) it’s a
big set from PROMs in terms of reusability.

BENEFITS OF PRIMARY STORAGE DEVICES

The solid state drives outlays most of the advantages of primary storage devices. These are:

• Compared with electromechanical disks, SSDs are typically less susceptible to physical shock,
run move quietly, have lower access time or less latency.

• Many SSDs use input and output interfaces developed for hard disk drives, thus permitting
simple replacement in common application.

• Hybrid drives or solid state hybrid drives [SSHD] combine the future of SSDs and HDDs in the
same unit, containing a large hard disk and an SSD cache to improve performance of
frequently accessed data .These devices may offer near SSD performances for many
applications.

• Most SSD based on volatile memory such as DRAM are characterized by ultrafast data
access, generally less than 10 microseconds and are used primarily to accelerate applications
that would otherwise be held back by the latency of flash SSDs

The Hierarchy of Storage Devices

The memory is characterized on the basis of two key factors—capacity and access time.

• Capacity is the amount of information (in bits) that a memory can store.

• Access time is the time interval between the read/write request and the availability of data.

• The lesser the access time, the faster is the speed of memory.

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• The computer uses a hierarchy of memory that is organized in a manner to enable the
fastest speed and largest capacity of memory. The hierarchy of the different memory types
is shown below:

Cache Memory

Cache memory is placed in between the CPU and the RAM. Cache memory is a fast memory, faster
than the RAM. When the CPU needs an instruction or data during processing, it first looks in the
cache. If the information is present in the cache, it is called a cache hit, and the data or instruction
is retrieved from the cache. If the information is not present in cache, then it is called a cache miss
and the information is then retrieved from RAM. The content of cache is decided by the cache
controller (a circuit on the motherboard). The most recently accessed information or instructions
help the controller to guess the RAM locations that may be accessed next. To get good system
performance, the number of hits must far outnumber the misses. The two main factors that affect
the performance of cache are its size and level (L1, L2 and L3).

MOTHERBOARD

It is a large Printed Circuit Board (PCB), having many chips, connectors and other electronics
mounted on it. The motherboard is the hub, which is used to connect all the essential components
of a computer. The RAM, hard drive, disk drives and optical drives are all plugged into interfaces
on the motherboard. The motherboard contains the processor, memory chips, interfaces and
sockets, etc.

A CPU socket is a connector built into the motherboard where the CPU (central processing unit)
goes. Most motherboards use the PGA (Pin Grid Array) architecture which means that there is a
grid of holes, in which a particular CPU's pins will fit into. A computer motherboard connects with
the CPU and forms an electrical interface with it.

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BIOS & CMOS

A computer's Basic Input Output System and Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor together
handle a rudimentary and essential process: they set up the computer and boot the operating
system. The BIOS's primary function is to handle the system setup process including driver loading
and operating system booting.

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